Woodcreek issues ‘Stay-In, Stay-Safe’ order
The City of Woodcreek has issued a “Stay-In, Stay-Safe” order for residents to help stem the spread of the current coronavirus outbreak, abbreviated as COVID19. The order calls on residents to limit travel outside of the home to only essential activities, essential business functions, and essential infrastructure and government functions, and to adhere to social distancing guidelines. The order became effective at 11:59 pm on Tuesday, March 24. Further details about the order can be found on the city website, www.woodcreektx.gov.
As of March 30, 2020, the number of confirmed coronavirus (COVID-19) cases has surpassed 700,000 globally, including more than 140,000 in the United States and more than 2,500 in Texas. However, experts believe the actual number of persons infected with the virus to be much higher. Several cases have been identified in Hays County.
The stay-in, stay-safe order will reduce the transmission of the virus because it mainly spreads between people in close contact with one another. Infected persons may experience a range of symptoms from mild to severe illness, including sometimes fatal complications. The elderly and those with compromised immune systems are especially at risk from this outbreak.
“The City of Woodcreek’s stay-in, stay-safe order is vitally important to protect the health and well-being of our citizens, and follows the guidelines set forth by the Trump administration and Governor Abbott. Woodcreek is a close-knit and social community, and home to many senior citizens, which places our residents at a higher risk of experiencing complications from this serious coronavirus. That is why we must take this very seriously,” said Woodcreek Mayor Gloria Whitehead.
On March 11, the World Health Organization declared the virus a global pandemic and urged countries to take urgent and aggressive action to reduce its transmission. In response, President Donald Trump declared a state of emergency on March 13, and on March 16 his administration unveiled “social dis-tancing” guidelines to slow the spread of the virus by dramatically reducing human movement and physical interaction for a period of at least 15 days. On March 29, the President extended that period until April 30.
In the time since these initial declarations and guidelines, many states and local governments have issued “stay-in” or “shelter-in-place” directives to reduce the spread of COVID19. On March 19, Texas Governor Greg Abbott issued four orders, limiting social gatherings to groups of 10 of fewer people, temporarily closing bars and restaurants, restricting visitation to senior care facilities, and temporarily closing schools until at least April 3.
The Mayor issued the City of Woodcreek’s stay-in, stay-safe order to continue and build upon Governor Abbott’s orders. The Governor explained that, “Local officials have the authority to implement more strict standards than I as governor have implemented… If they choose to do so, I would applaud them for doing so.”
Bud Wymore, General Counsel for the City of Woodcreek, explained “Mayor Whitehead serves as the Governor’s designated agent in the administration and supervision of disaster management in Woodcreek, and takes seriously the responsibility to manage this outbreak on the local level. We support President Trump’s and Governor Abbott’s leadership in curbing this crisis as soon as possible, so we can safety return to normalcy and reignite America’s economic engine.”
For more information on this order or the city’s broader response to the coronavirus outbreak, visit www.woodcreektx.gov, or contact Woodcreek City Manager Brenton Lewis at (512) 847-9390 or email manager@ woodcreektx.gov. If you are experiencing symptoms that are consistent with coronavirus (COVID-19), the Centers for Disease Control recommend that you keep yourself isolated from others, including other members of the household and pets, and call your physician to seek medical guidance.